Friday, August 26, 2011

And boy, I think I have seen almost everything. Some possess as big as watermelons. Those a little conservative flaunt medium-sized like melons while others like it to be plain like water as in nothing to display, invisible, nada!

Before you raise those eyebrows and call me a pervert, I just want to make it clear that I am talking about the size of the designs printed on the shirts of people I get to meet everyday. I developed the hobby of getting a glimpse on what others are wearing through the years of commuting to and from the office. Imagine your self getting stuck inside a sardine passenger jeepney. How would you spend the next hour or two doing the upong otso pesos without getting bored? Here are some of your options:

a. Sing along with the tunes being played by the driver. You’re lucky if you share the same taste in music. If not, you can step out the jeep anytime you want but remember that God knows Hudas not pay.

b. Pray the rosary. Sometimes it’s like a miracle to finish a mystery especially when Mr. Driver starts to run his play list from a medley of remixed disco version of songs from Tiny Bubbles to the beerhouse classic Skyline Pigeon.

c. Play games on your cellphone or portable gadgets like PSP, Gameboy, etc.--- and put your life at risk! Forgive my paranoid-like behavior but how many times have we heard in the news about people who got killed by “gadget hunters.”

d. My recommendation: just sit quietly inside the jeepney and look for interesting subjects inside like who looks fresh and has the nicest or oddest getup, or you can always do silent reading of what are written on the shirts of fellow passengers.

You’ll be surprised that it can be a learning and entertaining activity sometime. Things I have learned through reading prints on shirts include generic names of medicines, names of local officials from towns and provinces I have never been to and handy info like the delivery service number of various restaurants. And I am pretty sure, at least one time in your life, an amusing shirt made you smile and made your day.

Let me take you down the memory lane through my more than three decades of journey and existence. Each chapter of my life will be represented by a shirt that I owned during each period.

I was a Star Wars fan at the age of 4. Nope. I did not see the George Lucas movie when I was that young. I was fascinated with the toy figures that I get for free in every jar of Ovaltine then. I actually like Darth Vader among all the toys I was able to collect (still have an anything Vader collection until now). My tatay knows that so he tried to look for a shirt with a Darth Vader print for my birthday. Since ebay and sulit.ph were non existence during those times, he failed to find one. His alternative was a Voltes V shirt which I also liked since I feel like I am Little John while wearing it. They told me that I would wear it every time I hear the theme song of the cartoon series and climb on our dining table just to dance (I hate to admit it but I still headbang a little when I hear the catchy tune).

When I was in grade school, a softdrink company launched a promo where you can exchange crowns of their products for limited edition Menudo items. They were my generation’s ‘N Sync and Super Junior. We have a sari-sari store so collecting crowns was never a problem unless the one buying the cola also knows about the promo. I was able to get posters, mugs and of course, a T-shirt with prints of the said boyband. My sisters love Robby Rosa but I find Ricky Martin better. I still remember wearing a headband made from a torn shirt (which angered my mom) and would proclaim, “I want to be Ricky Martin.” If I only knew that after two decades, he would make the I-am-gay announcement, I could have chosen Charlie Maso instead since no one really likes him.

Who can forget THE shirt who has pranked thousands of unwilling victims--- the one with "Look at my Back" on the front side. The words were so powerful that anyone who reads it will look at the back of the person wearing it, only to find out an equally silly message that says, “Look at the Front.” I had one of these shirts but customized the back portion and changed it to “Uto-uto” which I thought was clever and funnier. My stupid plan backfired on me when people started calling me uto-uto every time I pass by wearing it.

One remarkable occurrence happened during the height of the Philippine Centennial celebration in 1998: the birth of the so called Makabayan shirt. The demand even became bigger when more I-am-proud-to-be-a-Filipino moments followed like the 20th year festivities of the first EDSA revolution, emotional farewell to ex-Pres. Cory Aquino and Francism, mixed with the creative juices of the guys from Collezione and Francis Magalona clothing line and other local companies hyped the Proud Pinoy spirit. I have the one with the Philippine map and another with our nation’s colors (and also my wife and son Charles). I could have been more OA if I actually used the mp3 of Lupang Hinirang that I downloaded via Bearshare as my mobile phone’s ring tone.

One tip for a happy marriage which kinda work for me and my wife Leah is to sometimes have moments that as if you are still in the ligawan stage. A little pa-tweetums with one another will not hurt no matter what your neighbors says. We still do HHWW (Holding Hands While Walking) and deliver cheesy pick-up lines to one another. The most recent I told her goes something like, “Bumabagyo diba? How come I see sunshine in your eyes?” To top it all, we have two sets of couples shirt that we wear even in ordinary days when we feel like we just want the world to know that she is my wife and I am her husband.

All the shirts that I mentioned above each have a special space in my heart (and in our closet) although some have already went missing after the many typhoons and floods that hit our home. I just want to special mention a shirt which has a sentimental value for me because of many reasons.

To start, it was the first ever gift (a blue piece with prints of irregular shapes and different colors to match my somewhat weird kind of thinking, perhaps)I received from the parents of my wife a year before we got married. Second, it was a shirt I have worn to many out-of-towns activities, both work-related and leisure. And lastly, it was the one I wore for two days when an unexpected flood drowned our house in Pasig as a result of the wrath of typhoon Ondoy. All my shirts were soaked in flood water since we were not in our house when it happened. The water system was temporary closed by the Maynila Water company as the dirty water might contaminate pipes while the rain continues to fall, so no chance to wash clothes. During those times, who cares if you don’t take a bath or change clothes in a day or two--- everyone's just too busy saving their homes to notice it.

Below is a photo taken while I was trying to place borders in front of our gate to avoid debris entering our sunken home. I was on serious mode when somebody shouted, “may pagong, may pagong.” When I turned my back I saw this cute creature approaching me. It was our neighbor’s pet who escaped from his aquarium. It made me paused for a moment and have a reason to smile amidst all the mess in our place and in my mind. It just made my day and remembered the saying, "At the end of the tunnel, there is a turtle” (I’m sure somebody said that line sometime I can’t remember).

It could have been perfect If I was wearing a turtle neck shirt. But kidding aside, the one I’m wearing that time is such a special piece that has accompanied me (protected and wrapped me from all sorts of weather) through fun and troubled times. I am glad it was the one I was wearing that time.

I love this shirt! Now I want someone else to love it too! I support the Electrolux Wash-athon Clothes Donation advocacy.

Nice post and insights :) I have a collection of shirt once (shirts that I've gotten from different events, activities and special occasions - all with their very own personalities and sentimental values). Most of them have never been worn before - I have about two sacks of them. I was planning to make a wall portrait from it someday but.. all of it got destroyed in a flood years ago :(

@rain... Yeah kinda pro stating when you loose things with sentimental value. Don't worry, life is so great that you'll have more stuff to collect from the many adventures you'll experience in the future. Pero sayang talaga yun mga shirts mo no? I know the feeling. Thanks for the comment

@chanel... Thanks for the cute comment. I also have pink shirts :-)

@Minnie runner... Customized couple shirts are much better kasi may touch mo. Hope you get a pair na soon for you and your love one. I'm sure he'll appreciate it :-) thanks!

My favorite shirt is the one given to me by my sweetheart. Anything he gives me I treasure. But this shirt is special because of the effort he did in buying and choosing my favorite color w/c is purple

As of now, I love wearing PLAIN and STRIPE eye catching colored t-shirt. I am collecting with collar shirt as my smart casual outfit so I can use it anytime at any type of happening. Throughout my high school days, I wore murky loose type of top. At that moment, a classmate of mine told me to have on a light color to match up my skin tone, and I took her advised (thank God!). I now look more a human being.

i have a small collections of loose shirt from my close friends.. i used to wear it when i'm home and during bedtime(pangtulog) i feel presko kasi.. but one of my fav is the shirt from my ex-bf.bigay nya sakin last april 30, 2007 around 2pm monday un.. gosh tandang-tanda ko pa. we bought it at the souvenir shop at bantayan island wer me & some of our friends spend a summer vacation.. nong nagbreak kami 3 years ago, di ko xa ginagamit but now i can say naka-move on na ako.. hahhaha nasusuot ko na xa..congrats to me.

My favorite shirt design is the " No Pictures Please" sign which I bought for P99.00 and I forgot the mall where I bought it. it made a statement when I wore it during the 1st meeting of my camera club. =)

i have a small collections of loose shirt from my close friends.. i used to wear it when i'm home and during bedtime(pangtulog) i feel presko kasi.. but one of my fav is the shirt from my ex-bf.bigay nya sakin last april 30, 2007 around 2pm monday un.. gosh tandang-tanda ko pa. we bought it at the souvenir shop at bantayan island wer me & some of our friends spend a summer vacation.. nong nagbreak kami 3 years ago, di ko xa ginagamit but now i can say naka-move on na ako.. hahhaha nasusuot ko na xa..congrats to me.

What is my favorite shirt? and why? I must admit that I am not a well-off man. I am just a student who depends on my parents to grant me money and buy things that I need. Just to emphasize that, things that I NEED. Given that, I do not always get any fancy clothes BUT I have this plain blue polo shirt that I love to wear because it fits any circumstances. I call it "the power of 'that' collar". I can use it in school, at work and in church.

Believe it or not, it would be my Jollibee shirt and you might be wondering why. I started out joining contests when I won something for the first time in my life *teary eyed*. I used to buy my shirts but this one is different. So, corny as it sounds -- I wear it with pride because I won it (and the print is funny too). By the way, the shirt says "Kahit saan ka maghanap, walang ibang langhap sarap". BEAT THAT :)

My favorite shirt is my Red Morgan shirt given to me by my sis, whom I really miss that much 'coz she's in San Diego. Every time I think of her, I think of ways, on how to somehow feel her, and one of those is by simply wearing my fave shirt. Call me sentimental, ;) Happy Birthday Richard!!!

My favorite shirt is the one I bought from Freeway's National Artist Collectors' Series featuring Ramon Valera. Not only do I love the color (rust), style (turtle neck), and fabric (stretchable), but most of all I love the design, which is an artsy drawing of beautiful women placed in the lower part of the shirt.

Favorite shirt ko yung vintage ko na super mario shirt. It has like a news paper design! I talked one of the guys here in Utah out of that shirt! He took it off and gave it to me kahit nakahubad na sya! :) hmmmm... If you want Chard, i can post the pix on fb. I have few Mario shirts! Love my home boy!

My favorite shirt is the one given to me by my daughter last year during my birthday. I was really surprised because I was not aware that she actually saved money from her baon everyday to buy me a white shirt with the words "I am beautiful". I am just proud of her and very happy of what she have done. Angsarap maging nanny when she did that!

Well,my fave shirt was my shirt uniform when I worked as a OTC (stands for over the counter) assistant in an Agricultural Chemical insecticide.It was a plain white shirt with the company's logo at the front and the company's slogan at the back.It states "Mapa Lipat o Sabog Tanim man,ADVANCE Herbicide ang gamitin!"...What I love about this shirt is that its simply comfortable,crisp white and it accomodates my 6months belly...yes,im pregnant that time and im so thankful for this company because they hired me still even wen Im expecting a baby...until now after I give birth and my baby is now 6months old I still wear that shirt with pride cos I never feel idle on my child bearing days(unlike other xpecting moms) ...and did I mention that i look good when im wearing it?....and dEfinitly it was one of my treasures cos yun ang souvenir ko for being a first time mom,a first time experience to carry a wonderful creation from GOD. ...and that explain the story of my fave t-shirt.